Task 1
Reading Task 1 (questions 1-5).
Task 1
Match each message (1-5) and its meaning (A-F). There is one letter that you do not need. There is an example at the beginning (0→G).
0 When the siren sounds, passengers will please make their way to the assembly point without delay. The ship will remain at anchor during the drill.
1 Would staff please remain at their desks today until midday while preparations for today’s IT system intensive monitoring check are being made by our technical team.
2 Please give all of the material a very intensive examination: if we make a mistake at this point, this is what people will remember us for until the end of time.
3 In appearance, these two spiders are remarkably similar, almost identical, both in markings and dimensions; caution is required, as a mistake in handling could prove to be a memorable experience.
4 You must keep in mind that someone has to look after grandma this weekend. Her care schedule is not difficult, and I’ve already prepared everything. She mustn’t leave the house!
5 This examination is very important and the outcome is going to remain with you for the rest of your life so make sure your preparation is thorough.
A Don’t forget.
B Get ready.
C Stay there.
D Don’t worry.
E Watch out.
F Look closely.
G Come quickly.
Task 2
Reading Task 2 (questions 6-10).
Task 2
You will read five emails. For each question (6-10), choose the correct answer (A, B or C).
6 Tara is spending the weekend cleaning her grandmother’s beach house with her mother.
7 Jim says the recommended video game is fun and entertaining, although complex.
8 Manny will travel to work by tube because it is the closest station.
9 Donna has a fever and cannot go to the party.
10 Salma and the others choose a necklace for Susanna because she dislikes wearing things around her wrists.
Task 3
Reading Task 3 (questions 11-15).
The Silent Hero
Marcel Marceau, born into a Jewish family in 1923 in Strasbourg, was one of the most famous mime performers in the world. Best known for his iconic stage persona ‘Bip the Clown’, whose name is based on Pip, a character from Dickens’ novel ‘Great Expectations’, he revolutionised the art of mime and brought it to international prominence.
Some of his most important work occurred before his stage success. During the Second World War he changed his name from Mangel to Marceau and became active in the French Resistance. He was recruited by his cousin Georges Loinger, commander of a secret Jewish relief group that smuggled Jewish children from occupied France to neutral countries.
The group evacuated Jewish children hidden in a French orphanage and took them to the Swiss border. Marceau used mime to keep them quiet while escaping. Once he disguised himself as a boy scout leader and took 24 Jewish children through the forests. When he met German soldiers, he pretended to be a member of the French Army and convinced all 30 to surrender. After the war he became famous because mime, like music, knows neither borders nor nationalities.
Task 4
Reading Task 4 (questions 16-20).
Generation Alpha
Generation Alpha, born from 2010 onwards and raised in an era of rapid technological advancement, (0) _. Daily life has become more digital than ever before, (16) _ – comfortable with changing technologies from an early age. Furthermore, thanks to global connectivity, (17) _. Numerous cultures, ideas, and perspectives have shaped who they are: an open-minded generation of people tolerant towards differences. Education for Generation Alpha is also evolving. The traditional learning environment is being combined with online platforms, (18) _. Their strong IT skills will be the main advantage in using this hybrid learning method. As the first generation to live entirely in the 21st century, (19) _. Climate change, ethical dilemmas in technology, and changing job markets are just some of the issues they’ll come across. However, being techy, flexible and globally focused, they will find innovative solutions and bring about positive change. Basically, Generation Alpha carries the potential to break barriers and introduce new social norms, (20) _.
A which allows for a personalised academic experience
B as they find themselves at the beginning of a new era
C despite the fact that the old system is crumbling down
D they will likely face serious challenges
E which makes them true digital natives
F they are the product of a universal upbringing
G are kids destined to shape the future in unique ways
Task 5
Reading Task 5 (questions 21-25).
Fairy Tales as Old as Time
No matter your year of birth, chances are that you were introduced to stories and fairy tales from an early (0) _. For most children in the so-called Western world that meant they were listening to or reading stories written down by one of (21) _ three most famous authors of fairy tales – the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen or Charles Perrault. Naturally, there are also other authors and sources of stories, depending (22) _ where in the world you were born, but these well-known tales written between the 17th and 19th centuries have been the influence behind most storylines we find in today’s children’s books, cartoons, and films. A recent study, (23) _, has found that the sources behind these stories date back further than the 16th century that we had previously assumed they originated in. According to the findings of the study, most of the stories we base our fairy tales on are (24) _ 4,000 and 5,000 years old. Incredibly, researchers have even managed to trace a story called ‘The Smith and the Devil’ to as far back as 6,000 years (25) _.
A age
B year
C time
21 A a / B the / C Ø
22 A on / B of / C by
23 A but / B although / C however
24 A about / B around / C between
25 A long / B ago / C before
Task 6
Reading Task 6 (questions 26-30).
Harriet Tubman
Harriet Tubman was a true American heroine. She was born (0) _ slavery in Maryland in 1820. Fearing being sold to another owner in the deep South, (26) _ the age of 29 she fled to Philadelphia, where slavery had already been abolished, leaving her family behind. The following year, she returned, leading her sister and two children to freedom. Over the next decade, she made twelve more trips, along (27) _ was known as the ‘Underground Railroad’: a network of people who (28) _ shelter escaping slaves. During this time, she settled 70 enslaved people (29) _ Canada, including her parents, whom she later placed on a small farm she bought in New York State. During the American Civil War, Tubman acted as a scout and spy for the Union Army. After the war, Tubman lived on her farm, (30) _ was a refuge for elderly people and orphans.
A in
B to
C what
D can
E at
F which
G where
H would
I it
J into
Task 7
Official B-level writing task.